From cinema halls to streaming: How digitisation killed Kenya’s movie culture
Cinema hall. Courtesy photo
Long before Netflix, Showmax and YouTube, Kenyans flocked to cinema halls for the thrill of the big screen.
For many, the glowing signs of Bellevue, Odeon and Globe in Nairobi, or Moons, Lotus and Majestic in Mombasa, were symbols of leisure, friendship and even romance.
Going to the cinema was more than just watching a film. It was a social ritual.
Families dressed up for weekend outings, groups of friends gathered to watch Hollywood blockbusters, and countless couples planned their first dates around the dimly lit ambience of places like Nairobi Cinema on Aga Khan Walk, Kenya Cinema along Moi Avenue, or 20th Century Cinema in the city centre.
“In those days, watching a movie at Kenya Cinema was an event,” recalled James Mwangi, a retired banker in Nairobi.
“We would queue for hours just to get tickets. After the film, we would stroll down Moi Avenue feeling like we had travelled the world.”
In Mombasa, Moons, Lotus, Majestic and Nyali cinemas defined the coastal film culture.
On weekends, queues formed early as patrons waited to watch Indian films, kung fu classics or the latest action thrillers.
“Majestic Cinema on Nkrumah Road was the place to be in the 80s,” remembered Fatma Said, a former teacher in Mombasa.
“That’s where I went on my first date. The ticket was only a few shillings, but the memories are priceless.”
Many still recall the smell of popcorn in the halls, the sound of clapping when the hero triumphed, and the chorus of boos when the villain appeared on screen.
“Sometimes the crowd would even shout advice to the actors,” laughed Mwangi. “It was like we were part of the story.”
But that culture has quietly faded. The digital revolution — first through pirated DVDs in the early 2000s, then streaming platforms like Netflix and Showmax — transformed how Kenyans watch movies. Why wait for a scheduled screening when the same film can be watched anytime, anywhere, even on a smartphone?
Once-vibrant halls like Bellevue on Mombasa Road shut their doors. Odeon and Globe, which once buzzed with life, shifted to other uses. Moons, Lotus and Majestic in Mombasa, too, are no more. Only a handful, such as Nairobi Cinema, occasionally screen films during festivals.
The shift is bittersweet. On one hand, digitisation has opened access. A univerity student in Kisii or a worker in Wajir can now stream films instantly.
On the other hand, a whole cultural ritual has been lost. Watching a movie is no longer a communal affair, but often a solitary experience on a laptop or phone.
Cinema in Kenya was not just entertainment. It was a place to belong, to laugh together, and for many, to fall in love.
As digitisation marches on, those who grew up in the glow of the big screen feel a pang of nostalgia for the days when “going to the movies” meant so much more than pressing play.
